Survivor II

I need to practice better watching television. I’ve been watching Today before work and some News after work. I’ve been watching the cruddy bits: talking head speccing mundane holiday destination, sporting celebrity endorsing product.

My ability to follow the news, somewhat anaemic since high school, has been on its deathbed since I moved to Carlton. For the last two years I’ve been catching the scent off newspapers held aloft in the morning and night transits. Damn them, I hear the two competing rail lines carry their own free magazines now.

I mention this, because I want to follow the news. Something exciting is happening. I think. Or maybe I’m just imagining it. But that’s how I do things, so eh. I’ll try to get some objective reality into my perception. I’ll talk to an Australian Democrat tomorrow, a Socialist Alternative comrade next week. In a Malaysian restaurant and a pub, respectively.

For now, here’s the go:

Pauline Hanson
She’s back. Totally 2.0, etc.

I’m not sure how she was received outside Australia last time. I know she was known around the world. A British backpacker related this story: Little beggar boy in Turkey ran up and said, “You Aussie, g’day mate. Pauline Hanson, smell like fish and chips.” Or something like that. I didn’t have a pen and paper. I had a beer and joint.

This isn’t exactly like that. Pauline’s new feature is being Without Policy. This is 2.0. This time she’s symbolic. As I see it.

The parties
This is a beauty. Neither Labour nor the Democrats could break the homeostasis of Australian politics. Now here’s Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, the tool of the Australian people, invigorating our democracy. Now good enough is not enough. Now better than the other guy is not enough. And nothing can be a better news story, so no hiding.

And Pauline Without Policy is a tar baby too. Those who cling to her will lose their souls. I don’t think discontent can be appeased by clinging to the symbol of discontent. And Pauline Without Policy is a wooden duck. Can’t kill the discontent by hunting it’s symbol. She slices, she dices.

There’s no one that I’ll be supporting. I’ll be supporting the people of [Australia].

These are exciting times.

Australia, Australia
And we are lucky to have the democracies of America and Indonesia in the news.